Piano-action



(N0 Mddel.)

J. R. PERRY. PIANO ACTION.

No. 485,650. Patented Nov. 8, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH R. PERRY, OF iVILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA.

PIANO-ACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 485,650, dated November8, 1892.

Application filed December 1 1891. Serial No. 15,073. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH R. PERRY, acitizen of the United States,residing at Wilkes- Barr, in the county of Luzerne and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPianoforte-Actions; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enablethose skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

The object of my improvement is to effect a more definite and powerfulstroke of the hammer by increasing the rapidity and strength of strokeat the point of string contact and having the key touch lighter at thestart of the hammer and to produce a stroke when the keys are very closeto the key-frame or by the least movement of the key. To cheapen thecost and increase the durability is also an object of my invention.

It consists in a novel construction of the hammer-butt and means wherebyto produce a perfect back-check of the same to strengthen the pivotthereof.

It consists, also, of a novel device for connecting the working parts ofthe action by means of avibrating disk, which has the property offorming a connection between the hammer-butt and the operatingjack-lever, and has also the function of assisting the back-checking ofthe hammer and destroying the momentum of hammer when thrown in eitherdirection.

It consists, also, in a peculiar construction of a jack-lever and itsarrangement so that for a part of the stroke it has the property ofrigidity; but as it nears the full stroke it be comes flexible and freeto vibrate and adjust the parts to suitable positions in checking andholding the hammer-butt after it has rebounded from the string.

It consists, also, in a novel method of connecting and operating thepitman or rods running between the actuating-bar and keys, all of whichis fully set forth and described in theaccompanying specification anddrawings, forming a part hereof.

I have for illustrations Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, made in side andfront elevations. Figs. 1 and 2 refer to the mechanism proper, and

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 to the connecting-rod device. Fig. 1 represents theaction at rest or at the beginning of a stroke, and Fig. 2 when thestroke has been made and the action checked and held by pressing the keyupon the key'frame at the end of a stroke.

The same letters in each figure refer to similar parts in each.

A represents the action-rail, to which the actuating-bar B is attachedand the hammerbutt 0 by means of the flanges D D. The

hammer-butt O and actuating-bar B are con nected by means of a vibratingdisk E and the jack-lever F. The j ack-lever is formed of several parts.It has an arm F, extending to the right hand, which contains aregulating screw 6, having a fiat head inserted from below upward to beused in adjusting it with reference to the vibrating disk E. It has anarm h, extending to the left-hand side, and a spiral spring affixed tothe under side of said arm and securely resting upon the actuatingbar B.If, however, the same spring is placed against the action-rail A andupper end of the jack-lever F, as seen, the one under arm may bedispensed with, or both used, if desired. The jack-lever F is pivoted tothe bar B, so that the spring will act in holding the right arm upon theactuating-bar B. When the jack-lever is in proper place, its upper endwill form an angle with the pivots of the vibrating disk E. This angleis determined by means of the regulating-screw g and the spring underarm 77,, or the spring against the jack and action-rail. It will thusform a rigid support when the key is pressed or the pitmanrod movedupward until the alignment of the pivots in the jack-lever and vibratingdisk takes place, at which time the arm h will come in contact with thebuffer 6 of the action-rail block t" and quickly free the jack-lever Fby throwing it toward the piano-strings, thus forming an angle on theopposite side. As this angle may be made greater than the first one, itfollows that it must draw the hammer away from the string, so thatimmediately whenit rebounds by the stroke the jack-lever, vibratingdisk, and buffer F in the end of jack-lever will catch the extended partof the hammer-butt and hold it rigidly in check until the piano-key islet return, when the spring under arm 72 will quickly replace thejack-lever into its former rigidity ready for another stroke. The samewould be effected by the spring acting against rail and jack. Theregulating-screw g and buifers t' and F" will determine the proper angleand adjustments required to effect the above-named operations byadjusting the proper time when to convert the rigid into a freejack-lever. When the vibrating jack is set free, the hammer should bewithin a short distance of the pianostring, so that when the alignmentof the pivots takes place and the stroke is made the hammer is caughtwhile having the least rebound and consequent momentum.

The vibrating disk E has the functions of a lever, connecting-bar, andback-check, and also as a take-up of momentum by breaking the force ofthe motion against cushions or packing placed in the hammer-butt e. I donot confine myself to any particular form of this vibrating disk. Itwill be seen, also, that to perform the above-described action oroperation the hammer-butt has a peculiar formation, to wit: It has anextended part running below its pivot and made with a suitable shape toaid in producing the back-check of the hammer when it rebounds from thestring. It is so curved and shaped to suit the buffer. It is routed outon the front end in order to receive the vibrating disk E and thepacking c. This packing prevents the strain upon the pivots of jack anddisk in both directions, front and rear. In consequence of the extendedand curved portion of the hammer-butt it enables me to add greaterstrength to the pivot. This I do by extending the strap, usually ofmetal, below the hammer-butt pivot and securing the same thereto by ascrew placed into the same on each side of the pivot and upon it, thusfirmly holding it in place.

In Fig. 2 the outer portion of the hammerbutt is shown in section, so asto expose to view the vibrating disk E and packing c and the routing ofthe same. The operation is briefly this, to wit: hen the piano-key isstruck against the pitman, it raises the actuating-bar B, which isforced upward, carrying the rigid jack-lever in a curved line toward thepiano strings, and the vibrating disk E, acting against the hammerbutt,throws the hammer forward until the pivots in the jack lever andvibrating disk are placed in alignment. At this moment the arm it willstrike against the buffer 1' of the rail-block t", and thereby overcomethe spring or springs, which will quickly throw the top of jack-lever Fand disk E against the under side of or extended part of the hammer-buttand hold it in check. This will take place immediately after the hammerhas hit the piano-wire and made a short rebound. The buffer orsuch otherdevice in connection with the jack will then hold the hammer in checkuntil the pressure is removed from the key, when the spring or springswill cause the jack-lever to rest firmly upon the actuatthe whole lengthof the action.

ing-bar B, ready for another stroke, as seen in Fig. 2.

The pitman holding device is constructed and operated as follows, (shownby Figs. 3, 4, and 5:) Letter L in Fig. 3 represents a rail, usuallysecured to the brackets. (Not shown.) On the side of said rail is astrip M, running This strip has a groove run into it lengthwise largeenough to admit of any desired size of link or loop N, Fig. 4, which isformed from suitable Wire. It is bent with a right angle at one end anda right-angle loop at the other. The strip having been cut incross-section to suit the size of this wire and enough larger to admitof packing and spaced to suit the piano-keys is then ready to have theloops placed therein, the right-angle ends resting in the above-namedgroove, after which it is secured against the lower action-rail L withscrews to any desired place thereon. The pit man-rods P are split andthe pivots packed with cloth, when the wire loops are forced into thesplit ends and secured by means of a screw, as shown. This will allowthem to vibrate in moving the pitman P. They may be easily bent withpliers to suit the keys should any slight variation occur which couldnot be so easily adjusted by any other method. Fig. 5, letter 0, shows afront View of the grooved strip and loops according to the spam ing forkeys.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In apianoforte-action,the vibrating jack lever F, having arms F andh, said lever F pivoted to the actuating-bar B and havingregulating-screw g, and springs acting against the said jack'lever, inthe manner shown and to produce the results specified.

2. In apianoforte-action, the vibrating disk E, pivoted to thehammer-butt G, in the manner and for the purposes specified.

3. In a pianoforte-action, the vibrating disk E, combined with thejack-lever F, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

4. In apianoforteactiomthe vibratingdisk E, combined with theactuating-bar B by means of the jack-lever F,in the mannerand for thepurpose specified.

In a pianoforte-action, the metal strap it, so formed as to fit anextended portion of the hammer-butt O, passing below its pivot, saidportion suitably curved and the strap secured thereto, in the manner andfor the pun poses specified.

6. In a pianoforte-action, the ham mer-butt 0, having an extended partbelow its pivot and flange-support suitably routed to receive thevibrating disk E and its packing e, in the manner and for the purposenamed.

7. In a pianoforte-action, the hammer butt 0, having a part extendedbelow its pivot suitably curved and shaped to form a bearing to receivethe buffer of the jack-lever F or such check-damper as its equivalentthereto,

the said hammer-butt being routed to receive the vibrating disk E andpacked in said routing, and the metal strap is, formed to fit the saidextended portion of the hammer-butt and rest upon and against its pivot,the same being secured by means of a screw on both sides of said pivot,for the purpose described.

8. In a pianoforte-action, a jack-lever F, pivoted to the actuating-barB and having arms F and 71-, and a spring or springs operating againstsaid jack-lever, a regulating-screw in arm F and pivoted to thevibrating disk E, said disk E, pivoted to the hammer-butt O, in themanner and for the purposes described.

9. In apianoforte-action, the vibrating j acklever F, pivoted to theactuating-bar B, having arms F and h and reacting springs, incombination with the strip i and buffer 1, for the purpose specified.

10. In a pianoforte-action, the longitudinal strip or bar M, formed witha groove, said groove cut in cross-sections at suitable spaces tocorrespond with the keys and packed with cloth or other materials, saidgroove and crosssections to receive the wire loops N at theirright-angle bends, the said loops secured to the split pitman by theirother ends, the strip or bar M, secured to the action-rail L, all in themanner and for the purposes specified.

JOSEPH R. PERRY.

Witnesses:

THOS. D. SHEA, WM. J. TREMBATH.

